At the closing session of the 22nd conference of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs on Thursday, participants from 80 countries expressed their "total rejection" of Israeli efforts to "Judaize" Jerusalem and Israeli claims that the Sanctuary of Abraham and the Bilal Mosque constitute historic Jewish sites. They called on all Palestinian factions to put aside their differences and unite against the Israeli occupation of Arab land, declaring their total support for Egyptian efforts aimed at achieving inter-Palestinian reconciliation. Conference attendees also called on US President Barack Obama to keep his electoral promises to resolve sectarian strife and conflicts in the Arab world; arrive at a just resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict; stop ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestinians; halt the judaization of Jerusalem; and end foreign military intervention in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. They also urged Tehran to resolve longstanding disputes with the international community over its nuclear program--incited by what they called "the enemy"--and preserve its scientific achievements in the face of conspiracies by western superpowers targeting the country's unity and security. Conference attendees reiterated the importance of the freedom of belief as is guaranteed by the Muslim faith, calling on the international community to respect monotheistic religions--and the symbols associated with them--and condemning a recent Swiss referendum banning the construction of Islamic minarets. Speakers also condemned acts of terrorism and maritime piracy, referring to both as crimes against humanity. They also denounced all forms of murder, including euthanasia and abortion. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
